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Radioland Murders

Synopsis

At station WBN, the hits just keep on coming.

In 1939, WBN, a fourth radio network, is about to take to America's airwaves. As if the confusion of the premiere night wasn't enough, Penny Henderson, the owner's secretary, must deal with an unhappy sponsor, an overbearing boss and a soon-to-be ex-husband who desperately wants her back. As the broadcast begins, a mysterious voice breaks the broadcast and suddenly members of the cast turn up dead. It's up to her husband Roger, to find out whodunit as the police chase him through the halls of WBN.

THE ULTIMATE SLAPSTICK ROMP that kinda forgets to give a first act to what is a sublimely entertaining second and third act "Whodunnit." Don't get me wrong, the whiz-bang-pow energy immersing you into the state of Radioland gives the story a pulpy cartoon energy. But there needed to be something stronger tethering the intro all together.

Was convinced Joe Dante directed this. It's the high octane energy of Dante's films mixed with the warm nostalgia of Joe Johnston's work. I just wish the opening had established more of a connection to character.

I just ripped the DVD, but seeing its puny letterboxed SD presentation made me cringe enough that I rented the HD version from iTunes — you can only get it as a download, since they never made a Blu-ray.

Brian Benben still isn't my favorite, and a lot of the slapstick falls flat for me, but there are so many great actors in this film, and such good editing. This was also the first film that had digital set extensions, so it's a bit of important computer graphic history, no matter how forgotten the movie itself seems to be.

Still, an awful lot of fun! Michael McKean and Christopher Lloyd, in particular, seem to be having a lot of fun, and it's infectious.

THE ULTIMATE SLAPSTICK ROMP that kinda forgets to give a first act to what is a sublimely entertaining second and third act "Whodunnit." Don't get me wrong, the whiz-bang-pow energy immersing you into the state of Radioland gives the story a pulpy cartoon energy. But there needed to be something stronger tethering the intro all together.

Was convinced Joe Dante directed this. It's the high octane energy of Dante's films mixed with the warm nostalgia of Joe Johnston's work. I just wish the opening had established more of a connection to character.

This film is waaaaay better than its reputation suggests. While the climax gets a little too slapsticky and frantic, "Radioland Murders" for much of its runtime is a sweet, funny homage to old time entertainment.

Pretty much the most hilarious thing that I’ve seen in months! The jokes come with the speed of machine gun fire and at least 98% of them are great. The cast is full of recognizable names and faces and even the smalles bit part is perfectly cast. Seriously, I got no idea what 1994 audiences were on, that made them completely dismiss this minor masterpiece!

I just ripped the DVD, but seeing its puny letterboxed SD presentation made me cringe enough that I rented the HD version from iTunes — you can only get it as a download, since they never made a Blu-ray.

Brian Benben still isn't my favorite, and a lot of the slapstick falls flat for me, but there are so many great actors in this film, and such good editing. This was also the first film that had digital set extensions, so it's a bit of important computer graphic history, no matter how forgotten the movie itself seems to be.

Still, an awful lot of fun! Michael McKean and Christopher Lloyd, in particular, seem to be having a lot of fun, and it's infectious.